Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Vladimir Norov announced this at the international roundtable “Current affairs and perspectives of ensuring security in Afghanistan” in Tashkent on 15 October 2010.

He said that Uzbekistan started to construct vital project for Afghanistan on construction of the first railroad of the country - Hairatan-Mazar-e-Sharif – in 2010 at the financial support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Vladimir Norov said that total extension of railroad is 75 km. Currently, 747 Uzbek specialists and 81 units of construction equipments are used in implementation of the project. As of the end of September 2010, total extension of laid railroad made up 70 km, he added.

As earlier reported, Uzbekistan Temir Yollari began to construct Hairatan-Mazar-e-Sharif railroad with the cost of US$129 million on 22 January 2010.

The Uzbek company will construct and commission 75 km railroad and several stations, as well as reconstruct Hairatan station within the project.

The project is financed due to US$165 million grant of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and US$5 million of own funds of the Afghanistan Government.